Kungsleden (Kings Highway)
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I wrote here earlier that’s it’s been a dream of mine, a bucket list thing, to hike the Kungsleden in Sweden. It seemed farfetched as--
1) it’s
in Sweden. Not only that it is a 13-hour train ride from Stockholm to just the
southern terminus of the trail.
2) It’s
467 kilometres long, a little over 290 miles. Most people do it in segments.
There are numerous lake crossings and one section of road. Most hikers can hire
a boat and/or use the row boat system to cross the water and there are buses
for that one bit of road. Nevertheless, there are logistics, time, and money
that stood in the way.
Here I stand at the precipice of age 67, a lone female,
nearly invisible in today’s society. But, here I am. It’s time to go.
On August 24 I’ll fly from Detroit to Stockholm where after
landing I’ll have a few hours to collect food and fuel for the trail before
catching a train north.
I bought refundable tickets. Stomach dropping. I have
committed. Since—and this was a bit of a glitch as most of the material I read
said there was a night train—the day I need to leave to stay on itinerary there
is only a 6:22 AM train. On one hand, I’ll get to see the country from out my
window. On the other hand, I probably would have anyway as the sun hardly sets
at that time of year. So I also booked a city hostel, an 11-minute walk from
the station.
Isn’t this what it means to be alive, open to risk? I am
knife-sharpened, edgy, hoping everything works out.
--plane arrives on time, any connections go smoothly, change
in Reykjavik (Icelandair)
--luggage can stay with me, hopefully I can bring trekking
poles
--timely bus to city center
--directions to hostel, check-in goes well
--accessible shops for fuel and food
I also purchased travel insurance for the “just in case.”
Hopefully, will not need it.
Ammarnäs – Hemavan
This is the southernmost section of the Kungsleden walking trail. The trail goes through Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve, which is one of the largest protected areas in Europe. It contains open heaths, lush mountain birch forests, wetlands and old-growth spruce forests festooned with lichen. This provides a diverse environment for a plethora of different flora and fauna.
The six stages each have their own distinctive feature. The views stretch for miles, punctuated by dramatic valleys and surrounded by steep slopes and high peaks. When you walk through the dramatic Syterpasset, you have peaks on both sides of you that are 1,700 metres above sea level. Make your way across Lake Tärnasjö over the long bridges that join up its small islets.
STF has five mountain cabins along this section of the Kungsleden trail.
Learn more about how to avoid disturbing the reindeer.
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